Double tank pinch trigger pump water gun

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed toward a toy water gun which is operated by selectively releasing water from a water reservoir pressurized with air. The present invention has a manually operated pump incorporated into the design. As the pump is cycled, water and air is drawn from a water storage tank. Once drawn, the water and air are forced into a pressure reservoir. As the amount of water and air forced into the pressure reservoir increases, the pressure on the water within the pressure reservoir increases. The pressure of the water and air within the pressure reservoir increases with each cycle of the pump, until the pump can no longer overcome the pressure of the water and air within the pressure tank. The pressurized water and air within the pressure tank has an avenue of release that is regulated by the trigger mechanism of the invention. When no force is applied to the trigger, the pressurized water and air are held at bay with no means of release. When force is applied to the trigger, the water is first released from the pressurized container and is channeled through a narrow nozzle. The escape of the water, under pressure, through the narrow nozzle creates a stream of propelled water that lasts as long as the trigger is engaged or until the air pressure propelling the water equals the ambient pressure.

REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/680,247 filedApr. 3, 1991 now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of copendingU.S patent application Ser. No. 07/578 145, filed on Sep. 06, 1990 nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,074,437 by Bruce M. D'Andrade and Lonnie Johnson,inventors, entitled "Pinch Trigger Pump Water Gun".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed toward a toy water squirt gun, andmore particularly to such toy water squirt guns that use aself-contained pumping means to draw water from a storage reservoir,compress an air cushion with the drawn water, and store the waterpressurized by the compressed air in a second pressurized reservoir. Thewater is then released in a selective manner through a narrow nozzle,causing the stored water to be propelled forward in a narrow stream. 2.Prior Art Statement

Water guns have for decades been a very popular child's toy. Since thetoy industry is very competitive, hundreds of different style water gunshave been developed in an attempt to profit from the toy's inherentpopularity. The most traditional forms of water guns are activated by apumping action, either manually through the trigger or automaticallythrough a battery operated motor. Such pump action water guns work, butthe guns are limited in the distance the water traveled, the amount ofwater projected and the duration of the pumping cycle. In an attempt toimprove upon water guns, the toy industry has developed pressureactivated water guns. Such pressure water guns work upon the principleof pressure differentials between the water held within the toy and theatmosphere. The water within the toy is held at a pressure higher thanthat of the ambient air. As a result, when the water within the toy isgiven an avenue of escape, the water will stream out under the pressure.Prior art that shows pressure differential types of water guns areexemplified by the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,070 to Curtis F. Pearl et at, shows a water gunactivated by trapping water in a collapsible area. As the device iscollapsed, the pressure of the water builds, spraying the water out ofthe one small orifice left within the pressured volume. Once theconfined volume is fully collapsed, the reexpansion of the volume drawsforth more water from a reservoir, thus priming the water gun foranother cycle. The water being pressurized is limited to the volume ofthe collapsible volume. The Pearl invention cannot store pressurizedwater for use at a later time, nor can the pressure of the water beincreased by cycling the pumping action of the invention whilerestraining water discharge.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,480 to Robert S. Shindo and U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,239to Michael E. Salmon et al, both show toy water devices that use anelastic bladder to pressurize water. The bladders are filled with highpressure water, and the bladders respond by elastically deforming. Thesource of pressurized water is then removed and the water within theexpanded bladder is held in place by a clamping device activated by atrigger. The water gun is used by selectively releasing the water fromthe expanded bladder.

Water guns have also been developed that use air pressure to pressurizewater and force water through squirt channels. Such toys that use airpumps to pressurize water are exemplified by the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,674 to Jones el al, shows a two piece apparatusconsisting of a pressurized water reservoir and a discharging gun. Airis introduced into the water reservoir via a hand operated pump. The airpressurizes the water, forcing it up through the discharging gun, wherethe rate of discharge can be regulated by a trigger.

Thus, although prior art does show toy water guns that have collapsiblewater chambers and self-contained pumping means, prior art neitherteaches nor suggests a toy water gun that uses a self-contained waterpumping device to draw both water and air from a storage reservoir,pressurize air with the water drawn, and store the pressurized air andwater in a second pressurized reservoir, where it can accumulate untildischarged. Additionally, the safety of the invention is assured by atriggering device that automatically and safely discharges pressurizedwater when over pressurized, until the maximum allowable pressure isreached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a toy water gun which isoperated by selectively releasing water from a pressurized waterreservoir. The present invention has a manually operated pumpincorporated into the design. As the pump is cycled, water and air isdrawn from a water storage tank. Once drawn, the water and air areforced into a second pressure reservoir. As the amount of water and airforced into the pressure reservoir increases, the pressure of the airdisplaced by the water within the pressure reservoir increases. Thepressure of the air and water within the pressure reservoir increaseswith each cycle of the pump, until the pump can no longer overcome thepressure of the air and water within the pressure tank. The pressurizedair and water within the pressure tank has an avenue of release that isregulated by the trigger mechanism of the invention which has a safetypressure release within its design. When no force is applied to thetrigger, the pressurized water and air are held at bay with no means ofrelease. When force is applied to the trigger, the heavier water isfirst released from the bottom of the pressurized container and ischanneled through a narrow nozzle. The escape of the pressurized waterthrough the narrow nozzle creates a stream of propelled water that lastsas long as the trigger is engaged or until the pressure within thepressurized container equals the ambient air pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood by referring to thefollowing detailed specifications, the above specification and theclaims set forth herein, when taken in connection with the drawingsappended hereto, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one preferred embodiment to thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a partially fragmented side view of the embodiment depictedin FIG. 1, illustrating the claimed inner mechanisms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is, as mentioned, directed toward a toy water gunthat uses a manually operated pump to draw and pressurize water and air,storing the water and air under pressure until selectively discharged.The science of pressurized water toys is not new, and over the yearsmany different designs have been developed utilizing a pumping action topressurize water. As applied to the art of toy water squirt guns, themost common type of device involves a two-stroke pump, wherein the pumpdraws water into a chamber through a large orifice during the primingstroke, and forces water out of the chamber through a very narroworifice during compression stroke. This simple system forms the basis ofthousands of devices in addition to water guns, such as non-aerosoldispensing devices for hair spray, perfume, window cleaner, andcountless other products that are dispensed in a narrow stream or mist.

The problem with simple two-stroke squirting systems is that the amountof fluid that can be expelled is limited to the volume of thecompressible area; also, the pressure of the liquid exiting the deviceis dependent directly upon the force being applied during the time ofexpulsion. Consequently, when water is squirted in this manner, only asmall volume is released with each pumping action. When attempts aremade to increase the amount of water propelled by increasing the volumeof the compressible area, the pumping action cannot displace the waterat a high pressure, resulting in expulsion of water at low pressures.

Water guns need the characteristics of squirting a large volume of waterat high pressures. The higher the pressure, the longer the distance thewater can be propelled, thus increasing the range and power of the watergun. The present invention water gun uses a common two-stroke pump tostore and pressurize large amounts of water. The present invention drawspredetermined volumes of water and air from a storage container,pressurizes air with the drawn water and deposits the pressurized airand water in a second storage tank, where it remains under pressure. Asmore and more water and air are drawn, pressurized and deposited withinthe second storage container, the volume and the pressure of the storedwater increases, compressing the air within the second container. Thewater propelled by the compressed air can then be selectively releasedthrough a narrow orifice, creating a stream of propelled water. Thedouble tank system of the present invention allows the user of theinvention to determine the volume and pressure of the water to bedischarged, and also allows a user to refill and replace thenon-pressurized water storage tank without disabling the water gun'sability to discharge water. The double tank system gives water guns avariety of firing characteristics that is unique in the art of toy waterguns, allowing an operator to choose and adjust the range and power ofthe water gun.

The present invention also has other advantages over other pressurizedcontainer water guns, in that, instead of pumping only air into achamber that already contains water, the present invention pumps waterinto a chamber which is filled with air. The pumping of water is moreefficient than the pumping of air, thus less pumping strokes arerequired and higher pressures are easier to achieve.

When designing toys involving pressurized air and water, the problembecomes one of safety. Toys are designed to be inexpensive so as to bewidely marketable. As such, most toys are made of plastics or otherinexpensive materials. Such materials do not have large tensilestrengths or fatigue characteristics, and therefore do not lendthemselves well to containing pressurized fluids. Plastic containmentsof pressurized liquids, if not properly designed, can rupture andexplode, causing injury. The present invention has a unique design thatallows for both the use of high pressure air and the elimination ofpotential rupturing hazards. The present invention has a cylindricalpressurized reservoir with a single opening. The single orifice, inconjunction with the generous radii used at the cylinder ends, serve tomaintain the integrity of the water reservoir walls and minimize thestress points throughout the material of the pressurized reservoir,thereby allowing for the safe use of pressures generated by the presentinvention. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, one preferred embodiment ofthe present invention 1 is shown. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of thepresent invention 1 and FIG. 2 shows a fragmented side view of thepresent invention, exposing the internal mechanisms with like partsbeing like numbered. As shown from FIGS. 1 and 2, the embodiment shownof the present invention has two tanks, a water storage tank 38 and apressurized tank 3. Both tanks 38, 3 attach to a main housing 60 that isshaped generally in the form of a gun having a handle 95, trigger 65 andbarrel 81. The water storage tank 38 is held firmly to the housing 60with a hoop 37. The hoop 37 minimizes the stresses on the tapered neckof the storage tank 38 as the water 69 within shifts during movement.

Referring now solely to FIG. 2, the inner workings of the presentinvention 1 can best be visualized and explained. Water 69 is placedwithin water storage tank 38. The water 69 is introduced in one of twoways. First, the water 69 can be poured through the optional filling cap83, or the water storage tank 38 can be removed from the housing 60 andwater can be poured through the neck opening of the storage tank 38. Thewater storage tank 38 is shown in FIG. 2 as being bottle shaped, with aneck terminating in a threaded head 28. The storage tank 38, in theshown embodiment, screws into the housing 60. However, it should beunderstood that the storage tank 38 can be formed unistructurally withthe housing 60, and if so formed, the optional filling cap 83 wouldbecome a necessary part of the design. It should also be understood thatthe storage tank 38 can be formed in any shape or size, as long as thedesign holds and stores water.

Water 63 and air 35 are drawn from the storage tank 38 through anorifice 29 that connects with the storage tank 38. The invention willdraw either water 63 or air 35 from the storage tank 38, depending onthe orientation of the invention when the operator draws materials fromthe storage tank 38. As water 69 or air 35 are taken from the storagetank 38, a partial vacuum is produced within. The vacuum is eliminatedby a vent valve 19 that allows air 35 to enter into the storagecontainer 38 as the vacuum develops. The vent valve 19 is biased by aspring 9 in the closed position, preventing water from escaping, and anoptional elastomeric washer 7 helps seat the vent valve 19, enhancingits ability to prevent the escape of water. It should be understood thatalthough a vent valve 19 is the best mode of the invention. theinvention may function without such a valve so long as the storagecontainer has an open vent to the ambient air. Similarly, an elastomericseal 25 can be used to help seat the water storage tank 38 against thehousing 60, the elastomeric seal having an orifice therethrough,allowing for the passage of the draw tube 29 and the vacuum ventingpassage 21.

The force drawing the water 69 or air 35 from the storage tank 38 iscreated by the movement of the piston 33 within its cylinder 34. Themovement of the piston 33 within the cylinder 34 has two-cycle strokes,a priming stroke where water 69 or air 35 are drawn forth from the waterstorage reservoir 38, and a compression stroke wherein water 69 or air35 are displaced by the piston 33. The priming stroke starts when thepiston 33 is retreated within its cylinder 34, creating a large volumechamber 15. The vacuum created by the expanding chamber 15, draws water69 or air 35 through the draw tube 29 and into the chamber 15. The flowof water 69 or air 35 into the expanding chamber 15 opens a one-wayvalve that is normally biased in a closed position. The one-way valvethat is shown in FIG. 2 consists of a ball 30 that is biased against anelastomeric seal 11 by a spring 13. As a vacuum is created by the piston33, the force of the spring 13 is overcome and the ball 30) drops awayfrom the elastomenc seal 11, allowing water 69 or air 35 to pass. As thepiston 33 is advanced within its cylinder 34, the compression strokebegins and water 69 or air 35 now within the chamber is compressed,closing the one-way valve by assisting the spring 13 to push the ball 30against its seal 11. Although a ball and seal one-way valve isillustrated, it should be understood that any design of a one-way valvewould work within the present invention as long as the valve made a sealthat is both air and water tight.

The compression stroke created by the advancement of the piston 33within the cylinder 34 causes the water 69 or air within the chamber 15to become pressurized. The water 69 or air 35, as a result of thediminishing volume of the chamber 15, opens a second one-way valve thatleads to the pressurized storage tank 3. As the piston 33 isreciprocated within its cylinder 34, water 69 or air 35 is repeatedlydrawn from the storage tank 38 and deposited into the pressurizedstorage tank 3. As more and more water 69 or air 35 is drawn and forcedinto the pressurized storage tank 3, the pressure with tank 3 increasesuntil the force used to drive the piston 33 can no longer overcome thestored pressures, or until the pressure is released through the safetytrigger 65.

The movement of the piston 33 within cylinder 34 draws water 69 or air35 from storage tank 38 through an orifice 29. However, when the storagetank 34 is positioned so that the air 35 within the storage tank 38 isin contact with the orifice 29, the movement of the piston 33 will drawair 35 into the pumping chamber 15. When the pumping chamber 15 iscompressed, the air 35 will become pressurized and flow into thepressurized storage tank 3, forming an air cushion, while not increasingthe pressure of any water 91 present within the pressurized storage tank3. By having a pumping action that can introduce both air 92 and water91 into the pressurized storage tank 3, the pressure of the air 35 canbe increased above that available by an air pumping system alone becauseof the inefficiency of a normal hand pump. The pumping of water 91 ismore efficient than that of air 92 because of the incompressibility ofliquids, therefore the work available from the pumping system ismaximized when used to pump water against an air cushion.

The operation of the pumping action is achieved by the piston 33 beingdriven by a piston rod 31 that is affixed to a handle 73. The handle 73,as shown in this embodiment, is slidably attached to the barrel 81. Asthe handle 73 is manually reciprocated along the barrel 81, the motionis transferred to the piston 33, creating the desired pumping effect.Although a linear pumping action is shown, it should be understood thata variety of orientations and multiple linkage configurations could bemanipulated by a user to create the desired pumping motion.

Once the desired pressure is obtained within the pressurized tank 3, thewater 91 stressed by the compressed air 92, is discharged by selectivelyopening an exit orifice to the surrounding ambient air. The pressuredifferential between the ambient air and the water 91 causes the water91 to stream out. In the shown embodiment of the present invention, thepathway connecting the pressurized tank 3 to the ambient air is a pairof tubes, a flexible exit tube 67 and a pump connection tube 47. Aswater or air leaves the pumping chamber 15, it passes by a one-way valve43 and into a T-shaped connection 53. The T-shaped connection 53 on oneside attaches to the flexible exit tube 67, and on the other sideattaches to connection tube 47. As water or air is forced into theT-shaped connection 53, the water or air tries to enter both the exittube 67 and the connection tube 47. However, the exit tube 67 is closedby the trigger pinch bar 63, leaving the connection tube 47 as the onlypathway through which the water may pass. The connection tube 47 leadsto the pressure tank 3, consequently all or air water expelled by thepump is led into the pressure tank 3. When pressurized water 91, storedwithin the pressure tank 3 is to be discharged, the trigger 65 isdepressed. The trigger 65 is formed with a pinch bar 63 that is biasedagainst the exit tube 67 by a spring 57. As the trigger 65 is depressed,the bias of the spring 57 is overcome and the pinch bar 63 is liftedaway from the exit tube 67. With the exit tube 67 open, the integrity ofthe pressure tank 3 is now breached and the pressurized water 91 isoffered an avenue of escape to the ambient air. The pressuredifferential between the pressurized water 91 and the ambient air causesthe water 91 to flow back out through the connection tube 47, throughthe T-shaped connection 53 and through the exit tube 67, until the water91 is discharged through the exit orifice 75 formed at the end of theexit tube 67.

The amount of pressurized water 91 being discharged through exit orifice75 is controlled by the user in a variety of ways. A user can controlthe amount of water discharged by controlling the depression of thetrigger 65. If the trigger 65 is depressed and left in that position,the pressurized water 91 will be discharged until the pressure tank 3 isempty, or until the pressure of the compressed air 92 equals that of theambient air. The user may choose to discharge the pressurized water 91selectively, depressing the trigger 65 for short periods of time,resulting in numerous shots being allowed before the pressure tank 3needs to be refilled. A user may also choose to vary the pressure andamount of water being discharged by selectively adding the air 92 withinpressure tank 3. The more water 91 or air 92 is added, the higher thepressure and the farther and longer the invention may propel water.

As mentioned, the present invention water gun is operated by selectivelyreleasing the pressurized water 91 through a narrow nozzle 75. Theselective release of the pressurized water is controlled by the triggermechanism of the water gun. Since the present invention has the abilityto operate at high pressures, the trigger release mechanism performs twofunctions. First, it controls the amount of water released, and second,the trigger mechanism serves as a safety valve. The trigger 65 of thepresent invention has a pinch bar extension 63 that pinches the exithosing 67 for the pressurized water 91 against a stop 59 that is part ofthe main housing.

The pinch bar 63 is biased against the stop 59 by a calibrated spring57. The spring 57 is held at one end by a formation 55 of the mainhousing. The strength of the spring 57 in its biased configuration iscalibrated, so that when the pressure of water 91 within the exit tubing67 reaches a predetermined maximum valve, the spring 57 will allow thepinch bar 63 to rise and water 67 will be released until a safe pressureis maintained.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show only one embodiment of the present invention, andalthough these figures show the best mode of the invention, it should beunderstood that the present invention can be practiced in many formsother than that shown. The basis of the present invention is a doubletank design that uses a manual water pump and a series of one-way valvesand tubes to draw ambient water from one tank, pumping said water into asecond tank, where it is presssurized against an air cushion anddischarge that water selectively to the ambient air. The illustratedembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a design for the presentinvention that is both efficient and inexpensive to manufacture. Itshould therefore be understood that in light of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced other than is specifically described, andindividual parts may be modified or connected in orientations other thanthose shown.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toy water gun having a housing with extending handle trigger and barrel, said water gun comprising:(a) a water storage reservoir connected to said housing, said water storage reservoir having at least one orifice formed thereon for the addition and subtraction of water therefrom; and said water storage reservoir having at least one vent to the surrounding ambient air; (b) a pressurized water storage tank connected to said housing, said pressurized water storage tank having only one orifice through which all liquids and gasses pass; (c) a pumping means that can selectively draw air or water or a combination thereof from said vented water storage reservoir, depositing same into said pressurized water storage tank to thus vary the ratio of air to water therein; (d) a plurality of one-way flow valves, wherein at least one of said one-way flow valves prohibits water and air from flowing from said pressurized water storage tank to said pumping means and another at least one of said one-way flow valves prohibits water and air from flowing from said pumping means to said water storage reservoir; (e) a nozzle having a narrow orifice therethrough, said nozzle being affixed to the end of said barrel; (f) an avenue of release connecting said nozzle to said pressurized water storage tank; and (g) a controlling means for regulating the flow of water and air through said avenue of release, said controlling means being attached to said trigger of said water gun and regulated by the movement of said trigger.
 2. The water gun of claim 1, whereto a one-way venting valve allows ambient air to enter said water storage reservoir through said vent while preventing water from exiting said water storage reservoir through said vent.
 3. The water gun of claim 1, wherein said pumping means is the reciprocation of a piston within a cylinder, said reciprocation of said piston having two-cycle strokes, a priming stroke whereto said piston retreats within said shaft, and a compression stroke wherein said piston advances within said shaft.
 4. The water gun of claim 3 wherein said piston is affixed to a rod, said rod terminating at a handle.
 5. The water gun of claim 3 wherein said priming stroke of said pumping means draws water or air into said cylinder from said water storage reservoir, past at least one said one-way flow valves.
 6. The water gun of claim 5 wherein said compression stroke of said pumping means forces said water or said air, drawn from said water storage reservoir, out of said cylinder and into said pressurized water storage tank.
 7. The water gun of claim 4 wherein said handle is slidably affixed to said barrel.
 8. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said avenue of release is a flexible tube.
 9. The water gun of claim 1 wherein the level and orientation of water within said water storage reservoir determines whether said pumping means draws water or air from within said water storage reservoir.
 10. The water gun of claim 9 wherein a user of said gun can selectively draw air or water from said water storage reservoir with said pumping means by changing the orientation of said gun.
 11. The water gun of claim 8 wherein said controlling means for regulating the flow of water through said avenue of release is a spring biased pinch bar that presses a length of said avenue of release against said housing of said water gun, collapsing said length of said avenue of release.
 12. The water gun of claim 11 wherein said spring bias of said pinch bar is overcome by a force applied to said trigger, whereby said pinch bar is formed as part of said trigger and said force applied to said trigger through a lever action, causes said pinch bar to move in opposition of said spring bias.
 13. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said water storage reservoir is detachable from said gun.
 14. The water gun of claim 11 wherein said spring bias is created by a leaf spring having one end affixed to said housing of said gun.
 15. The water gun of claim 2 wherein said one-way venting valve opens each time the air pressure within said water storage reservoir is less than that of the ambient air.
 16. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said pressurized storage tank can safely hold water or air at a pressure of at least one hundred pounds per square inch.
 17. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said water storage reservoir has a sealable orifice thereon for the addition of water thereto.
 18. The water gun of claim 13 wherein water stored within said pressurized water storage tank can be discharged from said gun while said water storage reservoir is detached from said gun.
 19. The water gun of claim 11 wherein said spring bias pinch bar is calibrated to yield to pressure within said avenue of release, when said pressure within said avenue of release exceeds a predetermined maximum value. .Iadd.20. A toy water gun comprising a storage reservoir adapted to hold water and air, said storage reservoir having a vent which allows air to enter said water storage reservoir; a pressure tank adapted to hold water and air; first conduit means for conveying water or air from said storage reservoir to said pressure tank, said first conduit means being coupled with said storage reservoir in a position so that the orientation of water within the storage reservoir determines whether water or air is drawn from within said storage reservoir; drawing means for selectively drawing air or water or a combination of air and water from said storage reservoir and depositing the drawn air or water or combination thereof into said pressure tank through said first conduit means; second conduit means for conveying water from said pressure tank to ambience; and control means for controlling the flow of water through said second conduit means. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. The toy water gun of claim 20 wherein said drawing means comprises a pump. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The toy water gun of claim 20 wherein said second conduit means includes a nozzle. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. A toy water gun comprising a housing; a storage reservoir adapted to hold a combination of water and air, said storage reservoir being removably mounted to said housing; a pressure tank adapted to hold a combination of water and air; first conduit means for conveying water or air from said storage reservoir to said pressure tank; pump means for selectively pumping water or air into said pressure tank from said storage reservoir to vary the air to water ratio therein and thereby increase pressure of air exerted upon the water by compression of the air; second conduit means for conveying water from said pressure tank to ambience, and control means for controlling the flow of water through said second conduit means. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. The toy water gun of claim 23 wherein said water storage reservoir has a vent which allows air to enter said water storage reservoir from ambience. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The toy water gun of claim 23 wherein said second conduit means includes a nozzle. .Iadd.26. The toy water gun of claim 23 wherein said first conduit means is coupled with said storage reservoir in a position so that the orientation of water within said storage reservoir determines whether said pumping means draws water or air from within said storage reservoir. .Iaddend. 